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Root canal treatment is a much maligned treatment, but the truth of the matter is that this procedure can save your teeth. Many people are fearful of root canal therapy because they assume that it’s going to be painful, but treatment is carried out under local anaesthetic, so you won’t feel any pain.

What is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is a procedure, which is used to treat infected and damaged teeth. The aim of the procedure is to remove decayed or damaged tissue from the tooth once the pulp has been infected. The pulp is the tooth’s living tissue and once it is damaged, the tooth starts to die, as blood flow is reduced. At this stage, there’s a risk of infection spreading further, and the tooth will eventually become rotten. To avoid extraction, your dentist may recommend root canal treatment.

What does root canal treatment involve?

Before your dentist starts the procedure, they will numb the tooth to prevent you from feeling any pain. Once the anaesthetic has taken effect, your dentist will drill into the tooth to access the root canals. Any decayed or damaged pulp tissue will be removed, and the canals will be cleaned and then stuffed with material known as gutta percha. This seals the root canals and reduces the risk of further infection.

After root canal treatment, your dentist may recommend placing a new crown on the tooth to make it stronger and more resistant to damage. Initially, a temporary crown may be used, and this will be replaced by a permanent crown around 2 weeks later. We can use ceramics to make the crown, so you won’t be able to tell the difference between the crown and the rest of the natural tooth structure.

If you’re nervous about having root canal treatment or you’d like to find out more about the procedure and how it could benefit you, our dental team will be happy to help.

Root canal treatment is much maligned, but it’s actually a very important and effective procedure. At City Dental Leeds, we often come across patients who are anxious about having root canal treatment, but we can assure you that you’re in the best possible hands. We use the latest technology, including a special microscope, and precision techniques to achieve the best possible outcome.

Why would I need root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is a procedure, which is used to treat an infected tooth when the infection has reached the pulp tissue. The pulp lies beneath the enamel surface and it contains the living tissue of the tooth. Here, you’ll find the nerves, lymph tissue and blood vessels. Once the pulp is infected, there’s a high risk of further infection, abscesses and tooth loss. Root canal treatment is often an alternative to extraction.

What does treatment involve?

Many people fear hearing the words root canal long before they even learn anything about the process. This procedure has a bad reputation, which cannot really be justified. The procedure is conducted under local anaesthetic, which prevents any pain, and we use a microscope to plan every stage with optimal precision. Before we begin, we will administer the local anaesthetic and once it has taken effect, we will create an opening in the pulp chamber. We then insert files to determine how long the roots are and start removing decayed tissue from the root canals. We use high quality titanium instruments to irrigate the root canals and clean them thoroughly to prevent the spread of infection. We then use a material called gutta percha to fill and seal the root canals. Finally, a new filling or crown is placed to strengthen the tooth.

If you’re struggling with tooth pain, you find it painful to bite down or you’re worried that you may have a dental abscess, this may indicate that you need root canal treatment. Call us today to book an appointment.

We often come across patients who feel incredibly anxious at the mere mention of root canal treatment. The good news is that at City Dental Leeds, you don’t have to worry about a thing. Our expert dental team is here to help, and ensure you get the treatment you need without any pain. We use a simple 5-step procedure, which tackles infection, and preserves your beautiful smile.

What exactly is root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is a dental procedure, which is often called into action when you have an infected tooth, and the infection has reached the pulp chamber. The pulp tissue contains the living tissue of the tooth, including the nerves and blood vessels. When the pulp is infected, the tooth is at risk, and without treatment, it may become severely damaged and there’s a chance that an abscess will form. Signs that may indicate that you need root canal treatment include increased sensitivity and pain when you’re chewing.

Root canal treatment is often an alternative to tooth extraction; with this treatment, we can effectively save a tooth that would otherwise be lost.

The 5-step procedure

Before you have root canal therapy, you will be given anaesthetic to make sure that you don’t feel any pain during the procedure.

Step.1: your dentist will use specially designed instruments to create an opening in the pulp chamber of the tooth.

Step.2: your dentist will insert files into the tooth to determine the exact length of the root canals.

Step.3: nickel-titanium rotary instruments are used to clean and clear the root canals and remove decayed pulp tissue.

Step.4: the root canals are sealed using a material called gutta percha.

Step.5: a filling or a temporary crown is placed to secure and strengthen the tooth.

If you’re worried about root canal, don’t be! We promise that you’re in safe hands. This treatment is a common procedure, which can make a massive difference to your oral health; it’s also a cost-effective solution. Call us today to find out more.

If you say the words root and canal in the same sentence, many people will shudder, but root canal treatment is actually a painless procedure, which could make the difference between saving and losing a tooth. We understand that many patients are nervous about having root canal therapy and we use anaesthetic to numb the tooth and ensure that you feel completely comfortable during the treatment session.

What is root canal treatment?

For dentists, root canal treatment is a commonly performed procedure, which involves cleaning and sealing the root canals. This treatment is usually recommended when a tooth is infected and the infection has reached the pulp, which is the living tissue of the tooth. Once the pulp is infected, the blood supply to the tooth is reduced and eventually, the tooth will start to die. At this stage there is an increased risk of abscesses and without treatment, there is often little option but to remove the tooth.

When you have root canal treatment, your dentist will numb the tooth completely before starting treatment to make sure you don’t feel any pain. They will then drill into your tooth and remove all the decayed tissue from the root canals. Once the root canals have been cleared and cleaned, they will be sealed using dental material; this stage of the process is designed to prevent the infection from spreading further through the tooth.

Once treatment is complete, it is often advisable to place a new crown over the tooth to make it stronger and protect it in the future. A temporary crown will be placed immediately afterwards and then this will be replaced with the permanent crown when it has been made by dental technicians and returned to us; this usually takes around 2 weeks.

When is a tooth not a tooth? When it’s hopeless! This is the name attached to any tooth in Leeds that is on the endangered list and it would have been put out of its misery years ago and pulled. This is probably why many people were wearing dentures by the time they reached the age of fifty. But thankfully that philosophy of removing a tooth at the merest sign of a problem has also been pulled. Nowadays, dentistry is all about saving teeth and there are many specialist fields in the business designed to do just that. The bottom line at looking at a hopeless tooth is to see if there is the support from the bone below and what can be done to restore it. It may take bone grafting, even gum grafting, but specialists will go out their way until the bitter end to save the tooth. Another perfect example of this passion for the life of a tooth can be found in the field of endodontics: this is the study of the inside of a tooth and you may be more familiar with root canal treatment. This is where anything inside the tooth that is rotten is removed and the tooth filled- again, to save a hopeless tooth (fillings do the same thing). Of course, you can’t push back the inevitable for ever, and especially in old people: if the level of periodontal decay is at critical, age will prevent any chance of growth in a graft and sadly to say, the situation will become, well, hopeless.

Tooth decay is a thorny subject and not a very nice one at all in Leeds. Once an infection has got inside, you may be able to save the tooth or you may lose it. In both situations, the fitting of a porcelain crown may well be required. If a root canal has saved the tooth, you will need a crown to be fitted in order to give the tooth back its shape and size again. In the case of losing a tooth, again a crown can be attached to a dental implant or be found in a dental bridge. In doing this, you can have a crown designed from pretty much any material you fancy, but the most preferable one would be made from porcelain, as it is not only the closest material that matches the enamel on your teeth, but it is a beautiful material in its own right. Where you have the crown placed however will determine exactly the way the porcelain crown is made. The rear of your mouth has to withstand a lot of chewing forces going through it and so the crown needs to be strong: in this scenario, a crown made from porcelain-over-metal will be able to cope with the stresses. If the crown is placed at the front of your mouth, you can get away with a weaker one made entirely from porcelain. In either case, crowns help to restore not only your look, but retain the health of your occlusion as well- the way your teeth bite together.

If you have been finding of late that a tooth has started to be of some discomfort when you eat, the odds are quite high that you are suffering from tooth decay and an x-ray by any dentist in Leeds will confirm it. You may have been lucky and get away with a filling, but pain indicates the tooth decay has well and truly set in- requiring a root canal to save the tooth. Once the decay has gone, the tooth needs restoring for it to function naturally, and the people’s choice is the porcelain crown. If the decay has set into a tooth that doesn’t experience a lot of force to function, then an all porcelain crown will look as beautiful as the original, however, if the original tooth had to work hard with chewing and biting, the equally beautiful, but stronger porcelain-over-metal would be a better choice. These crowns will be made from impressions of the cleaned, damaged tooth and then bonded into the hole. Porcelain crowns can also be attached to implants in the case where the tooth has been lost altogether. Generally, in the case where the original tooth is still in the mouth, a crown should last as long as the tooth, with care; with implants, the crowns should last for life